“REPORTED MISSING.”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18902, 30 June 1923, Page 16

“REPORTED MISSING.”

MYSTERIES OF THE SEASHIPS THAT HAVE NEVER RETURNED. Recent disappearances of vessels on the high seas, with special reference to the Douglas Mawson and the Amy Turner, give strong point to this article by Mervyn O’Hara, published in a recent issue of the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Possibly the list cf sea mysteries hero discussed is not large, •but some of the instances, to eay the least, ore extraordinary. The writer mentions only the chief ships which have figured as "missing” during recent years. Eight shipping casualties are mentioned in the 1922 list recently compiled by the Commonwealth Navigation Department. One of these was the barque Manurewa, which left Sydney on March 31 of last year for the Clarence River. The vessel left Sydney, and from thcnco all trace of her was lost.

Since the very beginning of things,, writes Mr O’Hara, when Man launched his frail coracle on it in trembling, and after supplication to his crude gods, the sea has remained one of the great, mysteries of Life. Behind it is sensed something tremendous — a primal force that vibrates in harmony with Destiny. In spit© of the advances of science and the growth of man’s intellect, the sea, still holds his soul in thrall. He is peculiarly sensitive to its'moods. He laughs with it in the sunshine on its beaches and sports with the boisterous surf; he is sad with it when the sun goes, and the dusk steals' down in grey, and he quails before its anger when the storm lashes the waves in madness, and stand-off signals are flying from the stations all along the coast. CASE OF THE MARIE CELESTE.

In the great storybook of tho sea there are many strange tales, and those that tell of the missing ships are full of all the elements of interest—-romance, adventure, mystery, and tragedy. The ending of some of these tales is known to us, but there are as many again whose finish must always be shrouded in mystery while the sea has its secrets.

One of these is the strange case of the Marie Celeste. For half a century the mystery surrounding the fate of the crew of the Mario Celeste has completely baffled all attempts at its solution. In tho autumn of 1872 the Marie Celeste, an American brig of about 600 tons, left Now York with a cargo of spirits for Genoa, The ship’s company comprised 13 souls—another of those cases that apparently bolster up the old superstition based on tho evil significance of this- number.

The names that occur in the story are those of Captain Briggs, the master of the ill-fated vessel; his wife, Mrs Briggs, who. with- her little daughter, accompanied Per husband, and Abel Fosdyk, a seaman. Weeks after the departure of the Marie Celeste, a British barque, the Dei Gratia, under Captain Boyce, was bowling along towards Gibraltar. The sea. was as smooth as a mill pond. It was December 5, 1872. At noon the Dei Gratia was at a point 300 miles due west of Gibraltar, when two other vessels came in sight. One was a German tramp holding a course for the Weet Indies. The tramp crossed the bows of the brig at a distance of about three miles. She signalled the brig, but there was no reply. Continuing her course, the tramp went straight on, but Captain Boyce, who had noticed the failure of the brig to reply to the tramp’s signal, decided to try himself. Again there Was no reply. Some peculiar instinct moved Captain Boyce to investigate. As the Dsi Gratia drew closer a more urgent message was signalled, but still there was no response. “This looks very funny,” said Captain Boyce to his mate. "I think we had better get a boat out.” The order was 1 given, and two sailors, the captain, and the mate rowed off to the brig. As they drew nearer they could see no sign of life about her. There was no helmsman on deck. The ship was drifting, and the sails flapped idly against the mast. Not a sound greeted the party as each member climbed over the side.

“It might be plague,” said Captain Boyce. “It can’t be mutiny, for there are no signs of a struggle on the deck.” His voice sounded strange and unreal in the uncanny silence. The two sailors shivered in apprehension on the deck. “We’d better go down to the master’s cabin,” said Captain Boyce, when they had searched the deck without making any discoveries, They did, sc, but, instead of finding a solution in the cabin, what they saw there only served to heighten the mystery. The table was set for a meal, and by the appearance of the food, four persons had risen from it, with the meal half-eaten. On the table stood a bottle of cough mixture, from which the cork had been removed and placed beside it. Close to the table, in a sewing machine, was a child’s pinafore. There were other evidences also that betrayed the presence of a woman.

“Let’s see if we can find the log/' said Captain Boyce. “If it’s there, that will give us something to start from." They found the ship’s log, the binnacle, and the compass, but the ship’s papers were missing. The log disclosed the fact that the captain’s wife and baby weer aboard, that there were only two passengers, and that the ship’s name w’as Marie Celeste. There was nothing else to be seen in the cabin, so they went to the forecastle, where they found the fire alight in the galley stove and breakfast ready cooked. Some of the men’s clothing was also hung out to dry. In the mate’s cabin they found on tho table two watches, and that was all. rsotix watches were going. There, as in the forecastle and the master's cabin, there were no signs of preparations for abandoning the. ship. It was clear that all hands had left in too great a hurry to collect any valuables. The sailors had even left their pipes and tobacco behind.

The theory of piracy was also found to be groundless; neither the ship’s money-box nor any of the valuable cargo had been disturbed. The only story of fact in connection with the uncanny disappearance of the crew comes from Abel Fosdyk, said to have been one of the ship’s company. Fosdyk was servant to the head master of Peterborough Lodge, Hampstead's-largest preparatory school. With Mr A. Howard Lindford, Fosdyk left an account descriptive of the events of the voyage of the Marie Celeste up to the time tho ship was deserted. This account was not made available until Fosdyk’s death. Mr Lindford did not attach any importance to \the papers when Fosdyk gave them to him, but presumed tho name Mario Celeste referred to oome woman. Afterwards, it occurred to him that they might have some connection with the sea mystery. According to Fosdyk’s story, Captain Briggs had been suffering from a nervous breakdown, and was clearly not in a fit state to have charge of tho vessel. But the crew were free from anxiety. They knew tho mate was capable, and had confidence in him. Apparently, there was some ill-feeling between the mate and the captain, for Fosdyk says the captain used to taunt the mate with cowardice in not going to the rescue of a drowning comrade. The mate’s defence was that ho could not swim with his clothes on. Tho captain, it appeal’s, insisted that this made no difference, and declared his intention of demonstrating tlie fact. Fosdyk’s account is so disjointed and fragmentary that it is practically impossible _to present a clear account of the events which followed this declaration by Captain Briggs. Apparently, the crew know that the captain was going into the sea in his clothes, and they endeavoured to prevent him without precipitating a quarrel. But, as it was impossible to induce him to change his mind, to watch for his safety two black boys in the crew, who were good swimmers, were deputed to go with him into tho water. Now comes the mystery. Fosdyk says: “Those on board the Marie Celeste were watching the finish of the swimming, when a shriek rent the air. and, without a word of warning, they found themselves in tho water."

Fosdyk was hit by a spar, and apparently lost bis sanity. How long it was after tie catastrophe when Fosdyk was fonnd on the north-west coast of Africa cannot he said, for his account makes no mention of time in this respect. Ho says he was cared .for by three blacks, a dark European and his wile, then a small sailing vessel arrived, which took him to Algiers. It should be added, however, that Fosdyk said a’ huge shark was manoeuvring round the brig when the crew disappeared. WARATAH’S LAST GOOD-BYE.

Ranking next in importance to the case of tho Marie Celeste is the mystery of the Waratah. Who can forget the thrill of horror that ran round tho world when the news came through from Capetown that the Waratah was .missing? On Jne 26, 1909, the Waratah sailed out of Sydney on her second and last voyage to London. Durban was reached on July 25. Bound for Capetown the Waratah left there the next day with 207 passengers. She was expected at Capetown on Friday, July 29. Ten hours niter leaving Durban, on July 27, a signal from the Waratah was picked up by tho steamer Clan Maclntyre, also bound for London, via Durban. Greetings were exchanged between the Clap; Maclntyre, which signalled: "Good-bye, A pleasant passage,” the Waratah sent back the message, “Same to you.” That was the last that was heara of the Waratah.

On July 2S there was a fierce gale, and on tho 30th great anxiety was felt in Capetown for tho Waratah, lor no news of any kind had been received. Tho storm was still raging when, on Sunday, the T. E. Fuller, equipped for salvage work, loft the Capetown Docks tc search for the ’ missing Waratah. Hundreds of people, impelled either by fear for the safety of those they loved or through curiosity, came down to wish the T, ju. Fuller Grod-spoed and success in its mission. “X shall never forget the sight,” said my

friend, “The tears of the women mingled with the rain that heat on their wan faces. Oilskin clad, the men stood by, sombre-eyed and with heavy hearts. Knowing the coast as they did, they could not hope; they could only wait.” On- Monday the tug returned, battered by the waves and weather. Its mission had been fruitless. -No nows, either good or bad, could it bring of the Warn tab to her friends in Capetown.

While the Waratah was between Durban and Capetown the Borkum ; of the Norddeutscher Lloyd Line, was in difficulties in the same latitude. A fire had broken out on board, and high explosives were in the cargo. To save his ship from being blown up, the captain decided to jettison the explosives. So violent was the weather that there was no chance of touching off the explosives in the water, so it had to be abandoned. It is contended by many whose opinions are worthy of note that the Waratah struck sortie of the floating explosive, and was so badly damaged as a result that she would not weather the storm. And yet, if this is the true explanation, it is strange that no wreckage was found. The explosion would scatter timbers and spars, which would eventually be thrown up along tho coast. Not even the search of warships discovered any wreckage from the Waratah. It was as if the sea had opened and swallowed up tho vessel and her complement. CASE OF THE CANASTOTA.

There is more evidence to substantiate the theory advanced in explanation of the disappearance of the Canastota, which left Sydney about two years ago for New lork, and vanished as if into than air between North Head and Now Zealand. The Canastota was a British ship, well known as a regular trader to Australia.

A vessel of 4900- tons gross, aha was commanded by Captain Ai G. Lockie. Her crow consisted chiefly of Chinese, although there were 11 British officers. Her cargo was a dangerous one, comprising 300 tons of general cargo and 50,000 cases of benzine. On July 13 she left Sydney (again the old superstitious hoodoo rears its ugly head), and was expected in Wellington on July lb. when she was two days overdue, anxiety began to be felt in shipping circles, and the masters of vessels were instructed to keep a look-out for her. But to this day she has not been heard of nor seen. Although she was equipped with wireless, no messages were received from the Canastota after leaving Sydney. She left in bad weather; heavy seas were running, and strong gales were raging along the ooast. Possibly the wireless aerials were carried away, and thus communication with the land ships cut off. Another surmise !• that a fire broke out, the benzine ignited, and the ship was blown up. When the Canastota was months overdue, Captain Weatherall, of the Makambo, wirelessed the news to Sydney that a quantity of wreckage, consisting of charred debris, oases of benzine, and casks of tallow, - had been washed ashore at Lord Howe Island. The wreckage was afterwards brought to Sydney, and, although it could not bo definitely proved that it formed part of tho Canastota’s cargo, the fact, nevertheless, was generally accepted. IN THE GRIP OF A TYPHOON.

During the month of March, in 1911 and 1912, respectively, two strange disappearances were reported. The first of these was the xongala, an Adelaide Steamship boat, commanded by Captain W. Knight. The' Yongala left Brisbane on March 21, and reached Mackay (Queensland) on the 2Srd. On the same day she sailed with 48 passengers and a crew of 72. She was last heard of off Dent Island. It .is surmised that she was caught in a terrible typhoon, and sank instantly.

Another case was that of the Koombana, reported missing on March 23, 1913. A vessel of 2182 ions register, commanded oy Captain T. M. Allen, the Koombana carried 130 passengers and crew. After she left Port Hodland (W.A.), on March 20, 1912, bound for .Broome, she was never seen or heard of again.

The theory is that she came to grief in the "willy-willy” that swept the West Australian coast on the night of Karen 20. Others believe the Koombana foundered off Bedout Island. i

These are only a few of the stories of missing ships in that great story-book of ths sea that is full of better tales than man can invent for his entertainment—better, because they are true.